Mario Fernández
Technical Director, Specialty Coffee AssociationMario Fernández hails from a coffee-producing family in Mexico and has worked in coffee for over 27 years—currently as technical director for the Specialty Coffee Association. Before that, he spent over a decade at the Coffee Quality Institute where, as technical director, he developed the Q Processing Program—an industry standard that equips agricultural businesses and coffee buyers with the tools they need to improve coffee quality and boost livelihoods for farmers. His experience at universities and nonprofit organizations has focused on coffee quality, processing, and farmer education. Mario combines his experience in the industry with a passion for scientific research about coffee flavor and how it is generated. He holds a PhD in food science (University of Otago – New Zealand), an MS in food science (Université de Montpellier II, France), and a BS in food technology (Universidad de las Américas-Puebla, Mexico).